City of London Tipstaff

[Mike McLellan]

Hello. I've had this tipstaff for a couple of years, and I need some help. My limited resources, and my limited expertise of those resources, keep me tumbling into dead-end tunnels. I think the era of this particular tipstaff is pre-Victorian, just because of it's shape and size ( 7 inches ). It is engraved, " City of London ". It also has the word "Officer" and named to George Horne on either side of the London arms. 

I've had no luck with the Old Bailey site or any of the other paths that I've stumbled onto. If someone can lend a hand to an elderly gentleman, I would be very appreciative. I was hoping to attribute it to the City of London Police or one of the Wards of the city, but it seems that tipstaves were passed out to anybody with some authority. 

Where can I search to learn anything about George Horne?

Thanks, Mike

Edited September 13, 2019 by Mike McLellan

[Alan Baird]

Hi Mike,

With the City of London Police medals you often have their rank, collar number, initials and surname, engraved around the rim of the medal. Therefore when you contact the ''Enquiry Team at the London Metropolitan Archives,'' you already possess a lot of information to identify that particular individual.

If you are making an enquiry regarding ''George Horne'' I would suspect you would need to include a time-frame from within which they could then search. 

But ''George Horne'' must have been a senior member of the City of London Police and this could help to narrow the search  because you are only looking at those in this higher level.

If ''George Horne'' was given the tipstaff, then again this was probably awarded in the latter part of his career and this fact may help you to narrow down the search period a little. 

If their computer records throw up a number of ''George Horne's'' I think your man might stand out quite well.

Alan.

 

 

[Mike McLellan]

Thanks Alan. I’m hoping that Officer Horne  turns out to be a copper. With a generic term like “officer” though, he could be any one in a cadre of city officials. Thanks again. 

Mike. 

[CollectorInTheUSA]

Mike, your tipstaff does look Georgian or very early Victorian.  I think it's the shape of the top and the handle that looks Georgian, not necessarily the length.  I don't think the title "officer" was commonly used for constables that early on, and so perhaps not constabulary.  I checked some historical population websites like findmypast and George Horne being a fairly common name, there are almost 250 George Hornes born plus/minus 40 years of 1760 in London, so my guess is it might be nearly impossible to identify this George Horne with any certainty.  The National Archives in Kew might offer some more information so you might want to contact them by email.

Edited September 21, 2019 by CollectorInTheUSA

[Mike McLellan]

Yes, I’ve pretty much ruled out the entire Victorian era, which includes the City of London Police, as well. What’s left is a cesspool of possibilities, many of them somewhat  bizarre. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Mike McLellan